The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for executing processing for displaying image information in the form of an image or for recording image information on a recording medium, and to an information processing method for the information processing apparatus. The present invention also relates to an information processing system including a server apparatus and a terminal apparatus that execute information processing regarding such image information.
For example, when managing image files, it is often the case that metadata having certain content related to the image files are associated with the respective image files so that the metadata can be used.
A typical example of usage of such metadata is file searching. More specifically, in order to search for an image file, a user enters a desired keyword as a search condition. In a searching process, first, metadata having content matching the keyword entered is searched for and identified, and an image file that is managed in association with the metadata identified is output as a result of searching. In the searching using such metadata, it is possible to perform searching using a keyword as a search condition instead of using a basic search condition such as a file name. Thus, the functionality of searching is enhanced. Such techniques are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-318807.
Although metadata is effective for use in searching or the like as described above, room for more effective use still remains.